Local Business uses Breakthrough Duct Sealing Technology to Reduce Ventilation Leakage
Nearing completion of a six storey dorm, the building contractors at Ohio State University were alarmed to find out that all 19 of their ventilation shafts had failed pressure tests needed to pass the fire code and gain a LEED Silver Certification. The only solution they saw was to tear down the already paint-ready walls and seal all the leaks in the vents by hand. The delay was to last up to six months with a price tag of hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is until one of the engineers remembered hearing about a revolutionary duct sealing technology called Aeroseal.
In Brief
Building: Ohio State University
Engineer: Smoot Construction
Duct Specialists: Smoot Construction
Goal: Eliminate leaks in 19 ventilation shafts;
pass fire code specifications; receive LEED Silver certification
Results: All shafts sealed within 2 weeks
The new dorms design included 19 vertical air shafts with three layers of fire-rated drywall constructed around it. While the shafts could keep fire out for up to three hours the drywall did nothing to prevent smoke from seeping into the ventilation shaft. The leaks would add a substantial problem to the efficiency of the building, driving up costs, all while failing to get the LEED silver certification that they desired.
Sprayed as a mist within the ventilation shaft, Aeroseal, was able to find and eliminate 98 per cent of the vents leakage. In just two weeks the construction company had all the vents sealed to fire code and the stringent specifications needed to achieve LEED silver certification.
Quotes:
“Finding the Aeroseal solution was a huge relief. By sealing the ventilation shafts with
Aeroseal we were able to safeguard against smoke and fire risks, receive our LEED
Silver energy conservation certification and ensure proper air ventilation throughout each of the dormitory suites.”
Ruth Miller, senior project manager, Ohio State University
“Aeroseal easily solved one of the biggest challenges we had. Our only other option – tearing down the walls to access the shafts – would have set the grand opening back by months and added an astronomical cost to the project. Aeroseal worked.”
Brian Miller, general contractor, Smoot Construction